Lynne Ramsay, the director behind We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here, is set to helm an adaptation of acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s short story Stone Mattress. If this already sounds like a match made in heaven there’s still a cherry on top: Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore and Killing Eve star Sandra Oh are set to star in the film.
Stone Mattress is a New Yorker short story written by The Handmaid’s Tale author, Atwood. The story centers around 60-year-old retired physiotherapist, Verna (Moore), who has had several husbands who all died of natural causes. One day, the widow decides to go on a luxurious cruise to the Arctic. The ship is populated by wealthy upper-class people and retirees, including the charming Grace (Oh) and a rather unremarkable man named Bob Goreman. Although Bob does not recognize Verna and tries to seduce her, the widow remembers him as a malignant presence from her past which contributed to the lingering wounds she still carries. The unsuspecting Bob does not realize that in this tranquil cruise atmosphere, someone is planning to take their revenge.
According to Deadline, in regard to the movie’s subject matter and the challenge of adapting Atwood, Ramsay stated: “With the current repeal in women’s rights across the world, particularly regarding the overturning of Roe v Wade in America, this story, with its themes of stolen motherhood and unaccounted sexual abuse, feels more important than ever.” She further added
“I first read Margaret Atwood when I was a teenager, and her work has gripped me ever since. She is simply one of the most intelligent, prophetic, and engaging writers around and Stone Mattress is another perfect illustration of that. I was immediately gripped by the way it framed the deeply buried trauma of a post-menopausal woman – an age group we hear from all too rarely – through the dynamic and multifaceted character of Verna.”
Ramsay and Tom Townend are credited as scriptwriters, with Dylan Weathered and Daniel Lupin as executive producers. Academy Award winner John Lesher and Academy nominee Joanne Sellar are serving as producers.
The revenge thriller is set to begin shooting in Greenland and Iceland in September. Concerning these locations, Ramsay also said:
“The opportunity to shoot in the Arctic, on the frontline of the most urgent threat to our world and on the verge of irredeemable transformation, will lend the story another layer of devastation. Just like the icecaps that melt to reveal ancient histories, Stone Mattress sees years of Verna’s pain and fury thaw before our eyes to expose the raw emotion underneath.”
Stone Mattress does not yet have a release date; stay tuned at Collider for updates on this project.